Search Through Grants for Computers for Nonprofits in the U.S.

AI Grants

• $5,000 - $50,000 in grants for open source projects, no strings attached.
• Grants can come in the form of compute or cash.

The Dynamics, Control and Systems Diagnostics (DCSD) program promotes the fundamental science and engineering of dynamic systems to advance solutions to urgent societal problems. Such problems include mitigating the impacts of climate change; responding to epidemics, cyber-attacks, extreme weather, and other natural and man-made events; promoting efficient and equitable production and distribution of resources; developing resilient infrastructure; improving the experience of work and learning; and meeting the challenges of aging and illness. Recognizing that dynamic systems lie at the heart of current and emerging imperatives, the DCSD program invites proposals that match innovative research in dynamic systems with compelling applications. DCSD also welcomes research that demonstrates how these applications inform our understanding of dynamic systems, and how foundational knowledge must be further advanced to broaden the usefulness of dynamic systems approaches to new areas of application.

DCSD proposals should articulate clear Intellectual Merit through the advancement of knowledge in one of the following foundational areas:

• Modeling: mathematical frameworks for studying the behavior of dynamic systems.
• Analysis: theoretical and computational tools for discovery and exploration of structure in dynamic behavior.
• Diagnostics: data-based methods to infer properties of dynamic systems from observations.
• Control: methods to produce desired or mitigate undesired behaviors in dynamic systems.
• Integration: architectures that expand the reach of dynamic systems and overcome application-specific challenges.

Proposals should also clearly describe the intended Broader Impacts of the envisioned work, beyond the scientific merits of the proposal. NSF encourages flexibility and creativity in constructing activities to benefit society or advance desired societal outcomes. Activities seeking to achieve such benefits should be evidence-based, informed by best practices, and appropriately resourced. The DCSD program is committed to broadening access and inclusivity in the research community. Activities furthering this goal are encouraged.

To ensure that a project is appropriate for the DCSD program prior to the submission of a full proposal, principal investigators (PIs) are strongly encouraged to send a one-page draft Project Summary to dcsd@nsf.gov following the format for proposal submission described in the NSF Proposals & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). In preparing the draft Project Summary, PIs are encouraged to refer to and address the NSF Merit Review Principles and Merit Review Criteria described in the PAPPG, as these constitute the basis for evaluation upon submission of a proposal. PIs considering prospective projects to bring together diverse research perspectives are also encouraged to contact the DCSD Program Officers at dcsd@nsf.gov to explore appropriate funding mechanisms. Except for specific solicitations that may include upper or lower limits on a project budget, the DCSD program encourages PIs to request the right amount of financial support necessary and sufficient to achieve the scope of a project and to justify this accordingly.

Program Outline

Grants will be made to organizations supporting Middle and High School students participating or interested in advanced STEM programs and who ultimately want to pursue a college degree in a STEM-related field. Organizations that have invested in careful planning and consideration of various elements of their STEM program who are providing students with a comprehensive and engaging educational experience and who meet some or all of the below objectives should apply:

•  Basic Objective:
  • The supported programs’ primary goals should include but are not limited to, fostering a love for STEM, preparing students for college and careers in STEM fields, and promoting problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Curriculum Development:
• Have developed or are developing a rigorous and integrated STEM curriculum that aligns with national and state standards and could offer a mix of core STEM subjects, including mathematics, science, technology, and engineering.
• Integrate hands-on, project-based learning to encourage students to apply their knowledge and solve real-world problems.
• Include interdisciplinary courses that emphasize the connections between STEM disciplines and careers.
• Grade Levels and Progression:
  • Programs that are designed with a curriculum that progressively builds on concepts and skills year by year.
• Specialized Tracks:
  • Programs that offer specialized tracks within their existing framework, such as computer science, biomedical science, environmental science, or robotics, based on student interests and local industry demands.
• Highly Qualified Teachers:
  • Programs that emphasize hiring and retaining experienced, certified STEM teachers who are passionate about their subjects and skilled in project-based learning methodologies.
• State-of-the-Art Facilities:
  • Programs that have access to well-equipped laboratories, maker spaces, and technology resources for hands-on experimentation and innovation.
• Partnerships and Externships:
  • Programs that forge partnerships with local universities, research institutions, and STEM-based companies to provide students with opportunities for internships, mentorships, and real-world experiences.
• Enrichment Activities:
  • Offer extracurricular activities such as STEM clubs, science fairs, hackathons, and robotics competitions to extend learning beyond the classroom.
• Professional Development:
  • Provide ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers to stay current with STEM advancements and teaching methodologies.
• Assessment and Evaluation:
  • Develop a system for assessing student progress and program effectiveness. Consider using a mix of standardized tests, project assessments, and teacher evaluations.
• Parent and Community Engagement:
  • Involve parents and the community in STEM education by hosting events, workshops, and STEM-related family activities.
• Resources and Funding:
  • Organizations seeking funding should be able to show a history of secure and adequate funding through grants, partnerships, and budget allocations to support the program's infrastructure, materials, and technology needs.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Establish mechanisms for continuous program evaluation and improvement based on feedback from students, teachers, and stakeholders.
• College and Career Guidance:
  • Provide college and career counseling services to help students navigate STEM-related educational and career paths.
• Showcase Achievements:
  • Celebrate student achievements and projects through exhibitions, showcases, and publications to inspire and motivate others.
• Adapt to Technological Advancements:
  • Stay current with emerging technologies and trends in STEM fields and update the curriculum accordingly.
• Sustainability:
  • Develop a long-term sustainability plan to ensure the program's viability over time understanding that the success of funded programs will depend on a collaborative effort involving educators, administrators, parents, and the community. Organizations should be regularly assessing and adjusting their programs to meet the evolving needs and interests of their students.

Amount

Grant awards for the STEM Stars program are capped at $25,000 per grant.

OpenAI Cybersecurity Grant Program

Our goal is to facilitate the development of AI-powered cybersecurity capabilities for defenders through grants and other support.

We are launching the Cybersecurity Grant Program—a $1M initiative to boost and quantify AI-powered cybersecurity capabilities and to foster high-level AI and cybersecurity discourse.

Our goal is to work with defenders across the globe to change the power dynamics of cybersecurity through the application of AI and the coordination of like-minded individuals working for our collective safety.

Our program seeks to: 

• Empower defenders: We would like to ensure that cutting-edge AI capabilities benefit defenders first and most.
• Measure capabilities: We are working to develop methods for quantifying the cybersecurity capabilities of AI models, in order to better understand and improve their effectiveness.
• Elevate discourse: We are dedicated to fostering rigorous discussions at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity, encouraging a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this domain.

A traditional view in cybersecurity is that the landscape naturally advantages attackers over defenders. This is summed up in the well-worn axiom: “Defense must be correct 100% of the time, attackers only have to be right once.” While it may be true that attackers face fewer constraints and take advantage of their flexibility, defenders have something more valuable—coordination towards a common goal of keeping people safe.

Below are some general project ideas that our team has put forward:

• Collect and label data from cyber defenders to train defensive cybersecurity agents
• Detect and mitigate social engineering tactics
• Automate incident triage
• Identify security issues in source code
• Assist network or device forensics
• Automatically patch vulnerabilities
• Optimize patch management processes to improve prioritization, scheduling, and deployment of security updates
• Develop or improve confidential compute on GPUs
• Create honeypots and deception technology to misdirect or trap attackers
• Assist reverse engineers in creating signatures and behavior based detections of malware
• Analyze an organization’s security controls and compare to compliance regimes
• Assist developers to create secure by design and secure by default software
• Assist end users to adopt security best practices
• Aid security engineers and developers to create robust threat models
• Produce threat intelligence with salient and relevant information for defenders tailored to their organization
• Help developers port code to memory safe languages

Funding

We will grant in increments of $10,000 USD from a fund of $1M USD, in the form of API credits, direct funding and/or equivalents.

Reboot Representation Grant

The Reboot Representation Tech Coalition is working to double the number of Black, Latina, and Native American women achieving computing bachelor’s degrees by the specified year.

The Coalition welcomes grant inquiries from qualified organizations. 

Rural Technology Education Grants

We provide grants for Rural Technology Education projects and Assistive Technology projects.  Most of our work manifests through our funding of teacher and student-led projects in public schools and libraries. Projects we fund are designed to help spark student interest in technology-based careers like computer science, computer engineering, information technology, programming, cyber security, robotics, or similar areas. In some cases, these project donations may include a few smaller items like a Raspberry Pi microcomputer or a robotics kit. In other situations, we partner with school districts to provide entire Maker Spaces equipped with things like circuit development kits, 3-D printers, robotics kits, and classroom sets of individual microcomputers to build upon. We also frequently fund early-stage robotics classes, teams, and clubs interested in project-based learning that culminates in competitive events like FIRST. There are several examples of projects have funded on our social media feeds and our impact page.

Our average grant ranges from $500-$2500. Larger amounts are considered for projects whose impact reaches large groups of students.

While we don’t have a perfectly rigid set of guidelines we apply toward selecting projects we fund, we do have a set of principles we use to make our decision. We typically fund rural projects that:

• Help introduce and teach students about computer technology. This includes computer science, programming, robotics, engineering, and design.
• Teach students to solve real-world, human service, and community impacting problems using computer technology.
• Are conducted by schools in rural or high-poverty areas.
• Are designed to reach multiple students within a school, equitably.
• Help establish ongoing student interest groups like maker spaces and coding clubs.

The Dakota Value of Sharing

Types of Funding Available

Non-Cash Donations

• Non-cash donations include items such as AEDs, silent auction packages and in-kind items.
• All organizations can apply for this category

Donations (other organizations may call it a mini grant or grant)

• Monetary Funding but on the smaller scale, such as Sponsorships, Project Specific items, not capital projects.
• Funding is awarded to an organization in one payment.
• All organizations can apply for this category.

Grants

• Monetary Funding for larger projects, such as capital projects, economic construction projects, etc.
• Funding released on a payment schedule over several months to a couple years
• Only Tribal Governments, Native American Organizations, and Native American Serving Schools may apply.

Each organization is eligible to submit only one (1) request for monetary and one non-cash per fiscal year (oct-sept). The system will not allow you to resubmit once your application has been awarded or denied.

Types of requests that may be considered for funding

• Cultural Programming & Support
• Program / Project Support
• Economic Development / Infrastructure
• Educational Program Support
• Environmental & Sustainability
• Equipment (Computers, IT, etc.)
• General Program Support
• Health & Wellness Programming & Support
• Holiday Support
• Sponsorships (Events, Conference, Gala, Golf, Etc.)

Giving and Grants

Our funding priorities are aligned around Digital Inclusion, Climate Protection and Human Prosperity. New applications are by invitation only. Verizon and the Verizon Foundation do not respond to unsolicited inquiries for funding.

Verizon and the Verizon Foundation are inclusive

Neither Verizon or the Verizon Foundation discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, religion, national or ethnic origin or physical disability. As a company with a highly diverse workforce serving an equally diverse set of customers, Verizon through its Foundation, supports a wide range of programs through direct and matching grants that benefit diverse communities, including without limitation minorities, veterans, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender and others. Verizon and the Verizon Foundation each expect its grant recipients to comply with all applicable laws, including those governing tax-exempt status and non-discrimination laws.

All organizations must:

• Not duplicate or significantly overlap the work of public agencies on the federal, state or local level.
• Keep books available for regular independent outside audit and make the results available to all potential contributors.
• Comply with applicable laws regarding registration and reporting.
• Observe the highest standards of business conduct in its relationships with the public.
• Use the funding for initiatives that will benefit the broader community.

Guidelines

If you are eligible to apply, your grant application to either Verizon or the Verizon Foundation for consideration should abide by the following guidelines:

• At least 85% of the total grant funds should be composed of direct costs (costs that are directly attributable to the project.)
  • Accordingly, indirect (or “overhead”) costs should be no more than 15% of the total grant funds.
  • Grants with indirect costs greater than 15% will require a business justification to be considered for funding.  
• Grants with IT-infrastructure related costs (such as computer hardware, software, data or networks) that total more than 20 percent of the grant’s total direct costs should provide an explanation detailing the use of the IT assets and whether cellular connectivity is involved.

 For education grants, Verizon and Verizon Foundation funding is intended to support projects that promote digital skills development for students and teachers in grades K-12. This includes, for example, summer or afterschool programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), teacher professional development, and research on technology-infused pedagogy. Schools and districts that apply for grants from Verizon and are eligible for the Education Rate (E-Rate) program may not use grant funding to purchase technology hardware (computers, netbooks, laptops, routers), devices (tablets, phones), data or Internet service and access, unless approved by Verizon compliance.

Create a Place Where Veterans Can Feel at Home

Virtual Living Room is an FRS grant program that blends rural technology, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) resources and local support to encourage veteran use of advanced medical technologies. Virtual Living Room saves veterans travel time and costs while enabling connections to skilled physicians and other providers in the VA medical system such as telehealth and other online resources.

Why Establish a Virtual Living Room in Your Community?

Programs such as the Virtual Living Room is what rural America is about—helping our communities and those who live there. The Virtual Living Room is intended to feel like home, offering a comfortable, safe space to help our veterans simulate the experience they would have while using VA telehealth services at home. By offering a Virtual Living Room in an accessible location, your telco assists the heroes of our nation who may not have the access to broadband services they need to get proper care.

Women in Engineering Program

The engineering workforce requires highly skilled and trained individuals to meet the needs of the global industrial workforce. For example, over the decade from 2020 - 2029 available jobs within the entire U.S. STEM workforce are predicted to increase by 8.8%. The growth in STEM jobs is predicted to be mostly driven by the increase in computational and mathematical jobs, heavily influenced by Artificial Intelligence (AI). For comparison, the available jobs in the entire U.S. workforce are predicted to increase by 5.2%. A lack of gender diversity among engineers continues to be an issue that needs to be addressed to meet the STEM workforce demand. Within the engineering workforce in the United States, only 14% of engineers are women. (1) While work needs to be done to help more young women to become interested in engineering as a career, work also needs to be done to keep young women in engineering through college and beyond. 

It is in this context that the Foundation is interested in funding programs in the following areas:

• Programs to Encourage Middle School Girls in Engineering conducted by engineering educators and others that encourage them to prepare for and undertake careers in engineering. The Foundation is particularly interested in new programs or modules, which, if they are found to be effective, will be continued within the applying institution(s). These programs supported by the Foundation are expected to test their effectiveness, to examine program impact on participant educational and career plans and on their SMET participation and achievement. Grants should range between $5,000 and $15,000 per year.

• Programs designed to improve the retention rate of undergraduate women in engineering. These may cover such diverse areas as classroom, climate, learning behaviors, classroom pedagogies and academic and social support programs. It is expected that the programs will examine their impact on SMET achievement. Grants are expected to range between $5,000 and $25,000 per year.

Background

For over 70 years, the Calvin K. Kazanjian Economics Foundation, Inc. has supported efforts to raise the nation’s level of economic literacy. Working with and funding a variety of institutions the Foundation has projects ranging from the development of National curriculum guides and standards for the schools in economics, to more focused materials for teaching economics and personal finance at all grade levels and through a variety of disciplines. The Foundation has taken a leadership role in applying new technologies to economics education including the development of a nationally broadcast educational film series for schools and colleges in the 1950s-1980s, and computer assisted instruction in the 1990s. The Foundation has recently underwritten the development of on-line games and activities for students.

With the knowledge that even the best materials will remain unused unless the gatekeepers of the classroom feel knowledgeable and comfortable with them, the Kazanjian Foundation has invested heavily in teacher education. As an initial and longtime supporter of the Developmental Economics Education Program the Foundation helped build a network of school districts committed to initiating and enhancing economics and personal finance instruction. This work and other efforts of the Foundation helped make economics and personal finance instruction a required part of the school curriculum in 38 states.

The Kazanjian Foundation has not limited its support to only traditional K-12 classrooms. Working with the American Economic Association and other professional organizations the Foundation has helped improve economics instruction in the college classroom. The Foundation has also underwritten the development of various instruments to measure economic and personal finance knowledge and supported research to determine the most effective way to teach economics.

Understanding that schools and colleges are not the only conveyance for increasing economic literacy, the Kazanjian Foundation has invested in programs to help clergy of all denominations convey basic economic concepts to their congregations. The Foundation has also supported efforts to increase economic knowledge among social workers and their colleagues in the hopes that they in turn can improve the basic personal finance skills of those they serve.

Though pleased with the success of its efforts in economic and personal finance education to date, the Foundation is none-the-less determined to further its mission set by Calvin K. Kazanjian, the founder and first president of Peter Paul Almond Joy.

Funding Interest

Foundation’s current funding interest includes but not limited to:

• The delivery of economic education to youth in non-school settings
• Behavioral economics with a focus on environmental issues
• Economic education initiatives to under-served communities in the local states
• On-line competitions
• Entrepreneurship education
• Marketing capabilities to serve more population in economic education
• Programs to generate more excitement for economic and financial education
• Economic education programs in a recently mandated state

Captain Eppley was a physical chemist, born in New Jersey in 1883. Studying at Princeton, he received his M.A. in 1912 and his Ph.D. in 1919. In 1947, Captain Eppley established The Eppley Foundation for Research. On his death in 1960, his will created the Eppley Charitable Trust, the income from which also goes to support the work of the Eppley Foundation. Today, through Captain Eppley’s generosity and foresight, the Foundation is able to continue to contribute support and encouragement to new generations of scientists in their search for insight into the workings of the world, as was the Captain’s wish.

Funding Priorities

• The Eppley Foundation for Research was incorporated in 1947 for the purpose of “increasing knowledge in pure or applied science…in chemistry, physics and biology through study, research and publication.”
• The Foundation does not support work in the social sciences, education or computer science, and only rarely funds research into diseases that have considerable financial support available, such as AIDS, diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Particular areas of interest include innovative medical investigations, climate change, whole ecosystem studies, as well as research on single species if they are of particular significance in their environments, in the U.S. and abroad.
• The Foundation does not fund work that can qualify for funding from conventional sources such as the National Science Foundation or the National Institutes of Health, or similar agencies at the state level.
• It is important to the Foundation that the work proposed be novel in its insights and unlikely to be underway elsewhere. The Foundation is prepared to take risks.

Mission

ACM Lifting Lives is the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to improving lives through the power of music. We harness the strength of the Country Music community to provide aid in times of need, with a focus on health-related initiatives.

Music and The Mind Grant Cycle

• Organizations using Music Therapy to provide direct memory care support
• Organizations supporting the mental and emotional health of members of the country music industry by providing direct services
• Organizations providing Music Therapy Programs for mental or physical health related causes
• Grant amounts generally range from $5,000 to $10,000.

The purpose of the Research on Innovative Technologies for Enhanced Learning (RITEL) program is to support early-stage research in emerging technologies for teaching and learning that respond to pressing needs in authentic (real-world) educational environments. RITEL supports future-oriented exploratory and synergistic research in emerging technologies (including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and immersive or augmenting technologies) for teaching and learning. The program accepts proposals that focus on learning, teaching, or a combination of both. The scope of the program is broad and includes teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and in foundational areas that enable STEM (e.g., self-regulation, literacy, communication, collaboration, creativity, and socio-emotional skills). RITEL supports research in all learning contexts (e.g., formal, informal, workplace) and for all learner populations. RITEL has a special interest in diverse learner/educator populations and in developing new educational technologies that are cost-effective for budget-limited school districts, colleges and universities. Research in this program should be informed by the convergence (synthesis) of multiple disciplines: e.g., learning sciences; discipline-based education research; computer and information science and engineering; design; and cognitive, behavioral, and social sciences. RITEL is unique in its requirement that projects must advance research in both learning (and/or teaching) and technology.

About the Program

The NFL Foundation will provide up to $10,000 per team to address barriers to opportunity in two key areas of social justice impact: the digital divide and mental health. Clubs can address either (or both) of these issues with these funds.

Digital DivideWhile the ability to access computers and the internet has become increasingly important, not everyone has access to this technology. The idea of the "digital divide" refers to the growing gap between those who have access to technology and all the doors it opens, and those who do not. For the purposes of these grants, we will be focusing on the digital divide as it pertains to youth in underserved areas.

Mental Health

Access to mental health support and resources is historically lacking in underserved communities and communities of color. Funds can be used to support 501c3 organizations or medical institutions that specifically address this lack of resources in these communities. It is critical to ensure that organizations you partner with on mental health have licensed mental health providers and professionals on their staff to ensure accuracy on this challenging subject

AI for Good

We support projects that use technology to empower people living with disabilities. We are looking for individuals or teams who are not only passionate about making the world more inclusive, but also connected with the communities they intend to benefit. We invest in ideas that are developed by or with people with disabilities

AI for Accessibility Grants

The Microsoft Accessibility Innovation program seeks proposals for projects that use generative AI to support people with disabilities in accomplishing their goals. This grant round is focused on projects that use the generative text, image, audio, and/or video capabilities of AI, either directly or indirectly.

Themes

In this RFP, we are focused on projects that relate to the themes below. We will, however, consider applications that address other disability empowerment topics, as well.

Theme 1: Accessibility for All

Creating new solutions and improving existing ones requires direct involvement with the disability community. It’s important to have diverse representation and to consider the needs of people who belong to communities that have been marginalized and excluded. We look for proposals that serve the needs of underrepresented groups.

We ask you to consider:

• How would you design with people living with disabilities?
• How can you provide the conditions and/or information necessary for people with disabilities—who have a diversity of needs—to empower themselves?
• How can your solution integrate into the larger accessibility ecosystem?
• How can your solution offer support for people’s agency and independence?

Theme 2: Communication and Language

Generative AI has the potential to enhance communication and language skills for people with disabilities. Solutions can vary from “just-in-time” (e.g. instant translation) to ongoing support (e.g. language learning). For all of these cases, solutions should create positive outcomes for users. Projects should also address potential risks of harm.

We ask you to consider:

• What data can you use to ensure your solutions offer appropriate and responsive communication support?
• How will you design your solution to be responsive without being intrusive?
• What risks may result from your solution and how will you address them?

Theme 3: Independence and Empowerment

Consider the barriers (e.g. cost, infrastructure, social factors) to technology for your target community. For example, expensive products are out of reach for many people with disabilities. Internet connectivity is a challenge for many in rural areas, underserved urban communities, and many developing countries. Digital accessibility is often forgotten when designing for disability empowerment. All solutions must consider the full range of disabilities and meet both accessibility and responsible AI standards.

We ask you to consider:

• What technologies can support disability communities in accessing locally relevant resources?
• What are the common barriers to accessing technology in the target community, and how can you address them?
• How can you design a solution that is both accessible for people with disabilities and affordable to a global audience?
• How can your solution work across different devices (e.g., mobile, desktop) and interaction methods (e.g. voice, keyboard)?
• How can your solution promote independence and empowerment for people with disabilities, and what metrics will you use to measure its success?

The Grantee Experience and Benefits

Over a 12-month period, you will be part of a vibrant community of grantees. You will receive support to accelerate and drive impact for your AI for Accessibility grant project.

• Funding: Our grants cover costs related to collecting or labelling data, developing models, or other engineering-related work.
• Azure & Tech Consulting: We provide Azure compute credits worth $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 as well as Azure developer support and resources.
  • To estimate the monetary value of Azure computing resources you need, use the Azure calculator.
  • For example, if your plan requires 100,000 Cognitive Services Computer Vision transactions, you will need $100 per month for 12 months, totaling $1,200 in Azure credits for the one-year grant period.
• Community: You will be included in a supportive community of current grantees and alumni.
• Mentoring: We provide a designated mentor based on your grant topic to help unlock the potential of your project.
• Amplification: We give you access to a support platform to craft and share your grant project more widely.

Funding Priorities

• Education
  • Focus on early childhood through post-secondary education
  • Target students in under-served, under-resourced school districts. 
• Conservation
• St. Louis Civic Institutions

Types of Grants

Grant categories include: Program, Operating, Capital and Endowment.

Using Bold Wireless Technologies for Big Impact

5G – the fifth generation of wireless – will transform the next decade of innovation in unprecedented ways, making our lives better, our communities stronger and our nation more prosperous. While 4G advanced the ways people connect and communicate with each other, 5G’s lightning-fast speeds, ultra-low latency and greater network capacity will revolutionize how humans interact with and shape the world around them.

The potential for groundbreaking, lifesaving innovation powered by 5G connectivity is increasingly apparent. As America’s wireless industry has already built out 5G networks across the country, ninety-one percent of U.S. consumers believe 5G’s impact will be significant for society.

The “connected everything” 5G-era will impact our communities, inspiring change, disrupting the status quo and helping address some of our country’s biggest challenges that often impact marginalized populations the most.

The emergence of 5G brings with it the promise of connecting people with the tools they need to engage with their own communities and gain access to broader global perspectives. When combined with cloud, edge computing, IoT and other technologies, 5G wireless offers a significant opportunity to make meaningful advances and tap into a powerful infrastructure for social good.

5G will touch every facet of our lives, but we’ve only scratched the surface of what is possible. In order to fully recognize how the 5G decade will change the world for the better, we need agile, innovative, and daring visionaries who can put 5G to work to improve our society. 

Catalyst Grant Program

Catalyst is a competitive grants program for ambitious social entrepreneurs using the power of 5G and leading edge wireless technologies to enhance our lives and address pressing challenges in American communities.

Up to six applicants will receive financial and non-financial benefits, with Catalyst awarding over $200,000 in unrestricted grants.

Community Connect Program

What is the Community Connect Grants Program?

The purpose of the Community Connect Program is to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to eligible applicants that will provide, on a “community -oriented connectivity” basis, broadband service that fosters economic growth and delivers enhanced educational, health care, and public safety benefits. 

Program Benefits

The Community Connect Program helps rural communities extend access where broadband service is least likely to be commercially available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for people and businesses. The projects funded by these grants help rural residents tap into the enormous potential of the Internet for jobs, education, healthcare, public safety, and community development.

Rural Development Key Priorities:

The Agency encourages applicants to consider projects that will advance the following key priorities (more details available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/​priority-points):

• Creating More and Better Markets.
  • Assisting rural communities to recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure.
• Advancing Racial Justice, Place-Based Equity, and Opportunity.
  • Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and benefits from RD funded projects.
• Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Justice.
  • Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities

Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) (T34)

Purpose

The goal of the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) program is to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce by strengthening research training environments and expanding the pool of well-trained students who:

• Complete their baccalaureate degree, and
• Transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (such as Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.).

Specifically, this funding announcement provides support to eligible, domestic organizations to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to biomedical undergraduate training and mentoring to support the development of a biomedical research workforce that will benefit from the full range of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds needed to advance discovery. NIGMS expects organizations to engage in outreach and recruitment activities to encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to participate in the program. The proposed research training programs will incorporate didactic, research, and career development elements to prepare trainees for careers that will have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation.

This program is limited to applications from baccalaureate degree-granting research-intensive organizations (that is, those with NIH Research Project Grant (RPG) funding averaging greater than or equal to $7.5 million in total costs (direct and F&A/indirect) per year over the last three fiscal years (FY)).

Program Objective

The program should provide trainees with the following:

• A broad exposure to foundational biomedical disciplines.
• The skills to acquire the knowledge needed to advance their chosen fields and careers.
• The ability to think critically about important biomedical research questions and approaches that push forward the boundaries of their areas of study.
• A strong foundation in scientific reasoning, rigorous research design, experimental methods, quantitative and computational approaches, and data analysis and interpretation.
• The skills to conduct research in the safest manner possible, and a commitment to approaching and conducting biomedical research responsibly, ethically, and with integrity.
• Experiences conducting, interpreting, and presenting rigorous and reproducible biomedical research with increasing self-direction.
• The ability to work effectively in teams with colleagues from a variety of cultural and scientific backgrounds, and to promote inclusive and supportive scientific research environments.
• The skills to communicate scientific methodologies and findings to a wide variety of audiences (for example, discipline-specific, across disciplines, and for the public).
• The knowledge, professional skills and experiences required to identify and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce (for example, the breadth of careers that sustain biomedical research in areas that are relevant to the NIH mission).

Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) (T34)

Purpose

The goal of the Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) program is to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce by strengthening research training environments and expanding the pool of well-trained students who:

• Complete their baccalaureate degree, and
• Transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (such as Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.).

Specifically, this funding announcement provides support to eligible, domestic organizations to develop and implement effective, evidence-informed approaches to biomedical undergraduate training and mentoring to support the development of a biomedical research workforce that will benefit from the full range of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds needed to advance discovery. NIGMS expects organizations to engage in outreach and recruitment activities to encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to participate in the program. The proposed research training programs will incorporate didactic, research, and career development elements to prepare trainees for careers that will have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the nation.

This program is limited to applications from baccalaureate degree-granting research-active organizations (that is, those with NIH Research Project Grant (RPG) funding averaging less than $7.5 million in total costs (direct and F&A/indirect) per year over the last three fiscal years (FY)).

Program Objective

The program should provide trainees with the following:

• A broad exposure to foundational biomedical disciplines.
• The skills to acquire the knowledge needed to advance their chosen fields and careers.
• The ability to think critically about important biomedical research questions and approaches that push forward the boundaries of their areas of study.
• A strong foundation in scientific reasoning, rigorous research design, experimental methods, quantitative and computational approaches, and data analysis and interpretation.
• The skills to conduct research in the safest manner possible, and a commitment to approaching and conducting biomedical research responsibly, ethically, and with integrity.
• Experiences conducting, interpreting, and presenting rigorous and reproducible biomedical research with increasing self-direction.
• The ability to work effectively in teams with colleagues from a variety of cultural and scientific backgrounds, and to promote inclusive and supportive scientific research environments.
• The skills to communicate scientific methodologies and findings to a wide variety of audiences (for example, discipline-specific, across disciplines, and for the public).
• The knowledge, professional skills and experiences required to identify and transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce (for example, the breadth of careers that sustain biomedical research in areas that are relevant to the NIH mission).

Imagine a better world

Our goal is to empower nonprofit organizations to prioritize technology as a mission-critical component of their projects and provide support for organizations pursuing technology driven goals. As part of the program, we are seeking proposals for pilot projects, proofs of concept, or existing programs that utilize technology in a new or expanded way.

AWS Imagine Grant Award categories

AWS Imagine Grant offers three distinct award categories for 501 (c) nonprofits based in the United States to receive support based on their organizational goals and the stage in their technology adoption journeys.

The Pathfinder – Generative AI AwardThe Pathfinder — Generative AI award will provide support for a highly innovative, mission-critical project that leverages generative AI. This project will have the potential to produce a scaled, repeatable solution that directly accelerates mission achievement and may impact an entire industry or field. Projects in the Pathfinder category may include service types mentioned in the Go Further, Faster and Momentum to Modernize awards, but must include the use of generative AI as a required additional workload. Pathfinder projects must be building on existing data strategy and foundation, and the generative AI use case is already defined with implementation in the planning phase (or later). Award package includes:

• Up to $200,000 USD of unrestricted financial support
• Up to $100,000 USD in AWS Promotional Credit
• Project implementation support from the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center
• Access to AWS training and support
• An opportunity for AWS marketing promotion

The Go Further, Faster Award

The Go Further, Faster award will provide support for highly innovative projects that leverage the cloud. These projects will have the potential to produce scaled, repeatable solutions and may impact an entire industry or field. They will be force multipliers for organizations and will include the application of and/or seek integrations with advanced cloud services, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), high performance computing (HPC), Internet of Things (IoT), and more.

Award package includes:

• Up to $150,000 USD of unrestricted financial support
• Up to $100,000 USD in AWS Promotional Credit
• Project implementation guidance from AWS technical specialist(s)
• Access to AWS training and support
• An opportunity for AWS marketing promotion

The Momentum to Modernize Award

As nonprofit organizations seek to transform and enhance their core mission operations with technology, many organizations need funding for foundational technology projects, such as migrating servers to the cloud and modernizing new and existing applications. The Momentum to Modernize award will provide funding for these transformational infrastructure projects, alongside AWS Promotional Credit and implementation support. Nonprofit organizations with specific workloads and outcomes that meet the program criteria are welcome to apply. Projects may include application migration and optimization, net-new application development, database migration and centralization, infrastructure expansion, and more.

Award package includes:

• Up to $50,000 USD of unrestricted financial support
• Up to $20,000 USD in AWS Promotional Credit
• Project implementation guidance from AWS technical specialist(s)
• Access to AWS training and support
• An opportunity for AWS marketing promotion

Tutator Forward Grant

What is Tutator Forward?

A grant program providing custom software solutions to mission-driven organizations.

Tutator Forward is a global initiative by Fondation Tutator that supports organizations creating social or environmental impact by offering fully customized software solutions. Unlike traditional grants, we don’t provide funding—we develop software applications that help NGOs and social enterprises streamline operations, enhance beneficiary management, and scale their impact.

What kind of software do we develop?

We build software that help organizations manage their programs and beneficiaries. Our solution will focus on direct impact rather than administrative tasks (e.g., HR, accounting, or CRM systems).

Examples of Eligible Projects:

• Access to Justice: A legal aid platform to train paralegals, track cases, and provide remote legal support.
• Youth Empowerment: A system that connects young people with educational and employment opportunities, tracking progress and outcomes.
• Public Health: A tool for community health centers to manage patient records, coordinate treatments, and track disease outbreaks.
• Food Security: A nutrition monitoring platform to track food distribution, participation trends, and generate real-time impact reports.
• Environmental Protection: A conservation tracking system to manage reforestation projects, collect environmental data, and engage local communities.

Funding

Grantees receive a fully customized software solution built on Tutator’s Beneficiary Management Platform (BMP) to ensure scalability and impact. While there is no fixed scope, projects typically involve 5,000 and 20,000 hours of specialized work valued between $75,000 and $1,000,000 USD.

• Project timeline (4 to 12 months):
  • Requirements Analysis – Tutator collaborates with key stakeholders to define the system requirements.
  • Software Development and Testing – The system is built in stages, with intermediate versions tested and refined based on feedback.
  • Training – Training materials and “train-the-trainers” ensure smooth adoption.
  • Deployment – The finalized software is launched for full use.
  • Post-Launch Support – Tutator will provide six months of second-level support for issue resolution and technical assistance.

About

The Higher Education Program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is pleased to announce its third Call for Letters of Inquiry for the Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education initiative, continuing its investment in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and in the establishment of partnerships between MSIs and graduate programs nationwide.

Grantees awarded via this initiative will engage the expertise of MSIs—and the unique experiences of their faculty and students—to model effective systems and practices that remove barriers and create opportunities for equitable learning environments in STEM graduate education so all students can thrive. Grant awards will support sharing MSIs’ institutional know-how on equitable undergraduate and graduate education, as well as modeling that know-how to create systemic changes that enhance pathways from MSIs to master’s and doctoral degree programs in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, Earth sciences, economics, engineering, marine science, mathematics, physics, and statistics at partner institutions.

In addition to establishing seamless pathways, successful projects will address policies, processes, and practices that reinforce existing systems that are barriers to student access and success in graduate education. These projects could include efforts to examine or redesign graduate recruitment, admission policies and processes, mentoring practices, departmental climate, or other gatekeeping (or gateway) structures to and through STEM graduate education.

Since the barriers to equitable pathways do not end once students are admitted to graduate programs, Sloan is looking for evidence that projects will promote and enhance existing efforts to reduce and eliminate policies, procedures, and institutional climates and cultures that prevent students from successfully attaining a graduate degree.

Planning Grants

Planning grants will support work between two or more institutions (one of which must be an MSI) that are seeking to set the stage for the establishment of a partnership or set of partnerships that engage and model the expertise of the MSI to yield systemic change, but which first require an assessment of the need and timing for partnership activities. Projects must demonstrate a clear roadmap to partnership through a well-defined set of planning activities.

About

The Higher Education Program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is pleased to announce its third Call for Letters of Inquiry for the Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education initiative, continuing its investment in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and in the establishment of partnerships between MSIs and graduate programs nationwide.

Grantees awarded via this initiative will engage the expertise of MSIs—and the unique experiences of their faculty and students—to model effective systems and practices that remove barriers and create opportunities for equitable learning environments in STEM graduate education so all students can thrive. Grant awards will support sharing MSIs’ institutional know-how on equitable undergraduate and graduate education, as well as modeling that know-how to create systemic changes that enhance pathways from MSIs to master’s and doctoral degree programs in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, Earth sciences, economics, engineering, marine science, mathematics, physics, and statistics at partner institutions.

In addition to establishing seamless pathways, successful projects will address policies, processes, and practices that reinforce existing systems that are barriers to student access and success in graduate education. These projects could include efforts to examine or redesign graduate recruitment, admission policies and processes, mentoring practices, departmental climate, or other gatekeeping (or gateway) structures to and through STEM graduate education.

Since the barriers to equitable pathways do not end once students are admitted to graduate programs, Sloan is looking for evidence that projects will promote and enhance existing efforts to reduce and eliminate policies, procedures, and institutional climates and cultures that prevent students from successfully attaining a graduate degree.

Grants up to $500,000 will be awarded to U.S. higher education institutions and organizations developing equitable pathways to STEM graduate education

Seed Grants

Seed grants will support work between two or more institutions (one of which must be an MSI) that are seeking to build upon or formalize an established partnership or set of partnerships by launching one or more pilot activities. These projects should include a plan to assess the viability and effectiveness of pilot activities.

NSF-supported science and engineering research increasingly relies on cutting-edge infrastructure. With its Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program and Major Multi-user Facilities ("Major Facilities") projects, NSF supports infrastructure projects at the lower and higher range of infrastructure project costs, Foundation-wide, across science and engineering research disciplines. The Foundation-wide Mid-scale Research Infrastructure opportunity is intended to provide NSF with an agile, Foundation-wide process to fund experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range between MRI and Major Multi-user Facilities. NSF defines Research Infrastructure (RI) as any combination of facilities, equipment, instrumentation, or computational hardware or software, and the necessary human capital in support of the same. Major facilities and mid-scale projects are subsets of research infrastructure.

The NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 Program (Mid-scale RI-1) supports either design activities or implementation of unique and compelling RI projects. Mid-scale implementation projects may include any combination of equipment, instrumentation, cyberinfrastructure, broadly used large scale datasets and the personnel needed to successfully commission the project. Mid-scale RI-1 design activities include the design efforts intended to lead to eventual implementation of a mid-scale class RI project. Mid-scale RI-1 projects should involve the training of a diverse workforce engaged in the design and implementation of STEM research infrastructure. Mid-scale RI-1 projects should directly enable advances in any of the research domains supported by NSF.

Projects may also include upgrades to existing research infrastructure. Mid-scale RI-1 emphasizes strong scientific merit, a response to an identified need of the research community and/or fulfillment of a national need to enable U.S. researchers to be competitive in a global research environment. Well-conceived technical and management plans are essential for both design and implementation proposals, as are well-developed plans (e.g., mentoring and professional development) for student training and the involvement of a diverse STEM workforce in all aspects of mid-scale design and/or implementation activities. The inclusion of individual project participants that will lead to a supportive working environment is especially encouraged at all levels of the project team. Within Mid-scale RI-1, proposers may submit two types of projects, “Implementation” (e.g., acquisition and/or construction) or “Design”. The “Design” track is intended to facilitate progress toward readiness for a mid-scale range implementation project. Both Implementation projects and Design activities may involve new or upgraded research infrastructure.